Annual Integrated Report 2014/2015 | 1 Work Programme As at 1 July 2015
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2014 / 2015 Annual Integrated Report The McGuinness Institute is: a non-partisan think tank working towards a sustainable future, contributing strategic foresight through evidence- based research and policy analysis. Preferred Future Possible Future Probable Future Hindsight Insight Foresight OUR LOCATION CONTACT US We are situated in the Wellington Free We welcome your feedback. Ambulance Building at Please contact us on Level 2, 5 Cable Street, Wellington. 04 499 8888 or at [email protected]. Contents FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE 1 PUBLICATIONS 3 PROJECT 2058 4 LOCALNZ WORKSHOP 7 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS 11 INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES 14 ANALYTICS 15 THE LIBRARY 17 THE STAFF 18 EXTERNAL REVIEWERS 20 ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT 21 FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE At a time when the international community is facing human, environmental, economic, political and cultural challenges on an unprecedented scale, New Zealand has never been more closely linked to the global economy and world governance through our role on the UN Security Council (2015 and 2016) and our membership to the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (2015 to 2018). New Zealand can take this opportunity to lead by example. The exploitation of rapidly developing technology (e.g. in medicine, food production, transportation and warfare) and the mass migration of our global population are putting further pressure on our global economy, trade partnerships and inequity. We have work do. Given this background, I have been developing some key principles to guide our work programme going forward: Principle 1: To focus on Choice not Freedom Principle 2: To focus on Fairness not Equality Principle 3: To focus on Family not the Individual The McGuinness Institute 2014/2015 work programme has touched on both global and specific issues as our country navigates its way into the future. This work programme (right) illustrates what we have achieved over the last 12 months in collaboration with our partners. Thank you to all those that support our work, it means a great deal to live one’s life surrounded by generous and passionate people. Thank you. Wendy McGuinness Chief Executive September 2015 McGuinness Institute – Annual Integrated Report 2014/2015 | 1 Work programme as at 1 July 2015 TalentNZ: Grow Edition Journal launch Nation Voices: Essay competition announced [26 February 2016] [February 2016] Nation Voices: Book launch [date to be confirmed] TalentNZ: Think piece on a new educational framework for New Zealand Nation Dates: 3rd edition book launch [date to be confirmed] [date to be confirmed] TalentNZ: Think piece on health services and the role they play in attracting and retaining Office re-opens [26 January 2015] talent [date to be confirmed] TalentNZ: Immigration working paper StrategyNZ: Government Department [date to be confirmed] Strategies lunch discussion Janua [25 Feb 2015] Early ry Workshop er 16 2015 Fe TacklingPovertyNZ b 20 br m ua [7–9 December 2015] ce r One Ocean: Report launch e y D [26 March 2015] StrategyNZ: Think Piece 21 Civics: r M e a published [April 2015] b r The Civics and Media Project c m h e workshop 3 [19 November 2015] v d : Submission e LocalNZ o t N e l [17 April 2015] : p Civics m o A The Civics and Media Project P C p r r Pandemic Management: o r workshop 2 [26 October 2015] e p i l b contributing paper published o o s t e c [7 May 2015] StrategyNZ: Government d McGuinness Institute Work Programme O Department Strategies Report Nation Voices: Presentation C M launch [22 October 2015] and contributing paper r h a e ie y b f [8 May 2015] E m x e : t Civics e c p : Auckland report u e One Ocean The Civics and Media Project t i S v e launch and discussion ’ J s u workshop 1 [2 September 2015] s n a e t b s b [12 May 2015] a u t g i c u a l A : Think piece on the J TalentNZ u l y future of talent [August 2015] TalentNZ: TalentNZ worksheets [15 May 2015] Public Science: Article for the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand [August 2015] One Ocean: Discussion paper [August 2015] One Ocean: Submission [3 June 2015] One Ocean: Round-table discussion James Duncan Reference Library systemised [July 2015] [16 June 2015] MI One Integrated Annual Report published [July 2015] One Ocean: New Zealand Antarctic Youth Council poster published : Workshop working paper [July 2015] LocalNZ [29 June 2015] World Futures Conference [25–26 July 2015] McGuinness Institute – Annual Integrated Report 2014/2015 | 2 PUBLICATIONS APRIL 2014–MARCH 2015 APRIL MAY All three are essential to assessing the quality of public policy. We call these the ‘three Is’: Institutions, Instruments and Information. Institutions Institutions are the enablers; they are the entities that have the resources, the money, the time and most importantly the authority to make things happen. In the public service Instruments there are 29 departments charged with serving the public and the ministers appointed by the elected government. Instruments are the mechanisms or tools; Information they strengthen and empower the links between institutions. There are a range of instruments in the public service including regulations, guides, annual reports, four- year plans, budget documents, treaties, information is collated, verified and reported government priorities, ministerial priorities, in such a way that is useful, timely and easily JUNE environmental national standards, national accessible in the public domain. I would rather policy statements, local authority long- Those interested in making New Zealand term plans, coastal policy statements a smart country must question (i) the and department strategies (what we call performance of the public service in gathering New Zealand ‘government department strategies’ [GDSs]). quality information, (ii) whether this Our initial research as at 15 August 2014 information informs public policy indicates that over the last twenty years there instruments and (iii) if effective instruments be smart have been about 287 GDSs published, of drive the actions of institutions. The which 135 are currently in operation. Institute’s review of GDSs provides a way Information is the final key component. to understand how effectively the current than lucky Over time information creates a narrative system is operating and identifies areas that in turn provides strategic knowledge. where a realignment of the system Think Piece 19: August 2014 This information may be documented by might deliver better outcomes for all Wendy McGuinness institutions through instruments, but more New Zealanders. … to provide and protect that freedom for all He was firm in his resolve that this topic was commonly it comes from other sources such Our country will be smarter if it can our citizens by all means within our authority.3 not only important, but urgent: We have no as industry organisations, international ensure the public service is transparent and more urgent task. New Zealanders may be lucky to live organisations (e.g. UN and OECD), academics, effective. However this is not the whole This speech was considered by Ted Sorenson in a country endowed with so many customer complaints, statistics, surveys, story. The public service will also need to (Kennedy’s primary speech writer) as his Generation Zero also focuses on the solu- great resources – but luck will only get think tanks and many others. build on the values of the past and explore favourite, and some argue that this speech was tion: a zero-carbon economy. You focus on What is most important is how well these the challenges and opportunities ahead. us so far. At some point we are going his most influential. Hence my thesis: Could the future and how carbon pollution will three components work together. Over time Figure 1 below indicates the three types Generation Zero write a 2014 ‘Strategy of affect the environment for future generations. to need to get smart. This think piece some components of the system may receive of sight (hindsight, insight and foresight) Freedom’ to deliver a zero-carbon economy? Changing the language from ‘carbon pollu- looks at mechanisms that might make more attention than others. For example, in institutions need to use in order to Kennedy wrote a strategy of peace to deal tion’ to ‘climate change’ (and ‘global warm- this happen. recent years there has arguably been a focus develop strategic knowledge. It also with nuclear disarmament; could Generation ing’) was an ideal outcome for the fossil fuel on creating supersized institutions rather shows the three ways that foresight can Zero write a strategy of freedom to deal with industry but not for society. It changed the In 2007 the Institute completed a report than designing new instruments or improving be understood and harnessed to realise climate change? Could Generation Zero use focus of the discussion from carbon reduction that focused on strategy within central existing ones. Often change is healthy but it the future we want. Paradoxically, the the concept of freedom to provide a way for- (debating the solution) to climate change and government. This year we are revisiting the is important to ensure that the checks and most powerful and the most dangerous of ward not only for New Zealand, but for the global warming (debating the projections). topic. We aim to publish a detailed report balances are designed to cater for the specific the three approaches is to only focus on a world? What can we learn from 1963 that can The latter means policy discussion centres later this year on the extent to which strategy weaknesses in the current system, not to carry preferred future. JULY help us in 2014? increasingly on adaptation, instead of miti- is integrated into central government. over the checks and balances designed to meet Any study of strategy development, gation.6 It places the responsibility on com- This is a significant and often overlooked the needs of the previous system.